Overview

The Data Science and Health Economics Team provides advanced analytical support across VNSNY’s health plans. We leverage big data to develop insights and to support strategic decisions for the agency. Meaningful, appropriate use of data is central to the success of our organization. We are looking for an ambitious data scientist to join our team.

Responsibilities

About the Role:

The Data Scientist will join a core group of analysts who play an important role in generating strategic insights across VNSNY’s health plans in these four applications of data science:

Clinical – “Who are our most vulnerable members? What can we do to prevent or mitigate their poor health outcomes? When is the best time to implement these actions?” This application of data science examines the drivers of clinical outcomes; analyzes opportunities for managing risk-based populations; evaluates the effectiveness of programs and interventions that aim to improve member outcomes.

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Quality & Satisfaction – “How is quality of care measured and how is it related to member outcomes? Where are opportunities to improve the quality of care and satisfaction of our members?” Our data scientists serve as subject matter experts on healthcare quality and satisfaction measurement and risk adjustment; identify viable opportunities for improvement in clinical processes that can lead to improved quality and member satisfaction.

Costs & Revenue – “How are costs trending over time? Are our spending patterns in line with our revenues and the severity of our membership? “Our data scientists are knowledgeable about medical claims data and the risk-adjustment models that determine our revenues; analyze opportunities for cost saving strategies; forecast future expenditures; identify patterns of utilization among service providers, member cohorts and longitudinally over our member’s continuum of care.

Policy – “What is the impact of health care policy on our patient population? On our most vulnerable members? How will new payment methods affect the way we ensure quality care while managing costs? What partnerships can we develop to ensure that our members continue receiving optimal care?” Our data scientists are well-versed in healthcare policy; analyze areas for meaningful value investments that focus on improving health outcomes while minimizing spending.

You Are:

Looking for an opportunity to perform hands-on data analysis to solve a wide variety of business problems while working alongside clinical/business stakeholdersDriven by curiosity and a passion to learn, you thrive in situations where you can bring clarity to ambiguous and multi-faceted problemsA logical thinker who is comfortable learning new programming languages and computing applications independentlyObsessive about streamlining data and modeling processes; if you find you or your colleagues doing something several times, you create a standard reproducible workflowLove the challenge of exploring new data sources while practicing a healthy skepticism about data; when you find data that looks wrong, you are emotionally compelled to figure out whyHave a desire to use your analytical skills to make measurable impacts on the lives of patients
Qualifications

Requirements:

MS in statistics, biostatistics, mathematics, econometrics, epidemiology, computer science, or other quantitative fields

2+ years of professional experience in applied data analysis, interpretation, and presentation

Experience with statistical/mathematical software (e.g., R, Python, Matlab) and data querying languages (e.g., SQL, PLSQL) with demonstrated ability to learn and wield multiple analytical tools

Solid understanding of relational databases

Expertise in supervised and unsupervised data mining and modeling techniques

Demonstrated experience executing reproducible and rigorous analyses

Strong verbal, visual, and written skills, with experience communicating results of complex data analyses to non-technical stakeholders

Expertise in translating business needs into relevant data-driven deliverables and analyses

Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across different teams

Nice to Have:

Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, software architecture, functional coding

Experience with healthcare data (e.g., medical claims, electronic medical records, clinical assessments)

Experience with version control (e.g. GitHub)

Experience in quasi-experimental methods such as propensity score matching or instrumental variable analysis

Application Instructions:

Please upload a cover letter and resume/CV combined in a single document. Below are some topics you may wish to address in your cover letter:

Why are you applying for this job as Data Scientist at VNSNY?

What aspects of the job posting “speak” to you the most and make you feel that this role is a fit for you? Please explain.

Explain which, if any, of the skills in the “Nice to Have” section you bring.

Expand on how you have used these skills previously.